USDA APHIS restricts or conditions imports of bovine bones and bone products from countries classified as having a controlled or undetermined BSE risk status. Admissible bovine bone material typically must come from animals that passed ante- and post-mortem inspection and must have been processed in ways that reduce BSE transmission risk (e.g., high-temperature rendering or acid treatment). Importers should consult current APHIS import regulations and obtain the required veterinary health certificates before shipment.

Bones that have been defatted, cleaned, bleached, or treated with acid to remove organic residues — but have not been cut to a specific shape or further manufactured — remain classifiable as unworked or simply prepared bone. Once bones are cut, carved, or shaped into articles (buttons, handles, ornaments), they move into finished goods headings. The line between 'simply prepared' and 'manufactured' is a recurring classification question; importers should document the processing steps applied and seek a binding ruling if the distinction is unclear.